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Jamal Khashoggi strangled as soon as he entered consulate, prosecutor confirms Jamal Khashoggi strangled as soon as he entered consulate, prosecutor confirms
(35 minutes later)
Jamal Khashoggi was strangled as soon as he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, then his body dismembered and disposed of in a premeditated killing, the city’s chief prosecutor has said in the first official confirmation of how the Saudi journalist died. Jamal Khashoggi was strangled as soon as he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, then his body dismembered and destroyed in a premeditated killing, the city’s chief prosecutor has said in the first official confirmation of how the Saudi journalist died.
The statement further undermines Saudi claims he was killed after a fight broke out in the consulate, where he had arrived to collect documents for his upcoming wedding. While Saudi Arabia has admitted that the dissident writer’s killing when he visited on 2 October to collect documents for his upcoming wedding was premeditated, it has not explained how.
It comes on the heels of the Saudi chief prosecutor’s departure from Istanbul and underlines how little co-operation there has been so far in what is supposedly a joint Turkish-Saudi investigation. Riyadh previously said Khashoggi died in a fight in a rogue extradition operation, and has maintained that the intact body was wrapped up in a rug and disposed of by an unidentified “local collaborator”.
The prosecutor, Irfan Fidan, said in his statement that discussions this week with his Saudi counterpart, Saud al-Mojeb, had yielded “no concrete result”.It also suggests that the steady drip of information about the crime leaked or released by Turkish officials so far will continue and there is more evidence to table. “The victim’s body was dismembered and destroyed following his death by suffocation,” Wednesday’s statement said, bolstering Turkish investigators’ line of thought that Khashoggi’s remains could have been disposed of at the nearby consul general’s house, dissolved in acid or dumped in a well on the property.
This is a breaking news story. More details to follow The fresh revelations from Istanbul come on the heels of the Saudi chief prosecutor’s departure from the city after a two-day visit - underlining how little co-operation there has been so far in what is supposedly a joint Turkish-Saudi investigation.
It also suggests that Turkey has more evidence to table, and the steady drip of information about the crime leaked or released by Turkish officials so far will continue.
Istanbul’s chief prosecutor, Irfan Fidan, said that discussions this week with his Saudi counterpart, Saud al-Mojeb, had yielded “no concrete result”.
Fidan’s office was clearly disappointed in the lack of progress: in two meetings over two consecutive days repeated requests for the extradition of the 18 Saudi suspects for trial in Turkey, details on the “planning stage” of the killing and identity of the local collaborator were not answered.
The Saudi prosecutor had promised “same day” answers, the statement said.
On his departure Mojeb invited the Istanbul investigators to Riyadh and suggested they share evidence collected so far with counterparts in the Saudi capital.
The Saudi prosecutor also noted that no statement had been made by the kingdom regarding the existence of a “local cooperator”, Fidan’s office said – once again muddying the previous Saudi version of events.
Riyadh has offered several shifting explanations for Khashoggi’s killing and says that the 15-man team who carried out the operation was acting without the knowledge or authorisation of the royal court.
The episode has drawn unwelcome attention to the Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler of the kingdom, Mohammed bin Salman, whom has consolidated power to the extent observers believe it is impossible he was not aware of the plan to kill the journalist.
The diplomatic crisis for Riyadh has also created significant problems for Donald Trump’s administration, which has signed new arms deals with the kingdom and made the crown prince central to its regional policy of containing Iran.
Turkey’s statement on Wednesday undermined Trump and secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s insistence that Turkey has been satisfied with Saudi Arabia’s cooperation in the investigation to date.
Jamal KhashoggiJamal Khashoggi
TurkeyTurkey
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
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